Monday, September 29, 2014
ABC Fall Pilot Review: Selfie - Premieres Tuesday, Sept. 30; Starz Gives Us Sampling of LeBron James Produced Comedy
Selfie - Tuesdays at 8:00PM ET/PT on ABC
Premieres Tuesday, September 30, 2014 at 8:00PM ET/PT
by Vincent
Eliza Dooley (Karen Gillan) has 263,000 followers who hang on to her every post, tweet and selfie. But one lonely day, she has a revelation: being friended is not the same as having actual friends. She asks marketing guru Henry (John Cho) to 'rebrand' her self-obsessed reputation and teach her how to connect with people in the real world. Loosely based on My Fair Lady, Selfie explores the modern struggles of Eliza and Henry, as he tries to teach her how to live life offline - whether she 'likes' it or not.
Cast Details:
Karen Gillan as Eliza Dooley
John Cho as Henry Higgins
Tip Peper as Ethan Chase
Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Charmonique
Allyn Rachel as Bryn
David Harewood as Sam Saperstein
Karen Gillan (Eliza Dooley) is a Scottish actress best known for her long-running tenure as companion Amy Pond on the British sci-fi series Doctor Who. She also starred as Nebula in the blockbuster film Guardians of the Galaxy. Her other film and TV credits include a starring role in Oculus and a recurring role on NTSF:SD:SUV::.
John Cho (Henry Higgins) is best known as Harold Lee in the popular Harold and Kumar film series. He also had a starring role in the NBC sitcom Go On. He has numerous other film and TV credits, including roles on FlashForward, Sleepy Hollow, Children's Hospital, 30 Rock, Ugly Betty, and Grey's Anatomy.
Tip Peper (Ethan Chase) is a Broadway actor primarily known for his stage work, including a starring role in Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoats. He also had guest roles on Law & Order, Guiding Light, and NCIS on television.
Da'Vine Joy Randolph (Charmonique) is best known for her starring role in Ghost: The Musical.
Allyn Rachel (Bryn) has appeared on several TV series, including Workaholics, Weeds, Comedy Bang! Bang! and New Girl.
David Harewood (Sam) is best known for his role as David Estes on Homeland. He has also appeared on several British TV shows, including Doctor Who, The Body Farm, and Hustle.
Pilot Plot:
"Pilot" (Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 8:00PM ET/PT)
After an embarrassing incident, social media-obsessed Eliza Dooley must find a way to reinvent her image into someone that's actually capable of friendship. She enlists her co-worker Henry Higgins to help "re-invent" her into someone who's just friended into someone with actual friends.
Analysis:
Selfie is a show that I wanted to like more than I actually did. I was a fan of Emily Kapnak's previous creation (the dearly departed Suburgatory) and I'm a huge fan of both Karen Gillan and John Cho. All of these people are immensely talented, and I have faith that all of their combined talents will eventually form a show that's at least pretty good, if not fantastic. But the pilot isn't quite there yet, and it's not helped by the show's frankly unappealing concept, which boils the vast medium of the internet and the advent of social media into a bunch of obnoxious stereotypes. The shows' focus on the social trends of the moment strangely make it feel slightly dated in parts - there's a handful of internet memes from the not-too-distant past referenced that already feel more like throwbacks than current references (Flappy Bird was the biggest offender, along with the phrase "epic fail"), which might have been current when this script was being written but now demonstrate some of the issues of a show on this kind of time schedule attempting to be as "of the moment" as this show is.
The parts of Selfie that do shine are the parts that leave the annoying internet speak by the wayside and instead focus more closely on the potentially interesting characters that Eliza and Henry are at their core. Gillan and Cho both play these aspects well enough to suggest that the show could become something to look out for if it starts heading more towards that direction, and although Eliza Dooley needs to be turned down from the 15 out of 10 she's currently at on the cartoonish scale, both of these characters have potential to turn into something interesting. The last scene of the pilot suggests the show's ultimate goal is not the "let's fix this shallow person" plot it starts off as but rather a far more promising "let's have these two flawed people learn from each other route." And that's what will determine whether or not Selfie will be a show to look out for or not - if it can tone down its grating internet satire and and highlight the more nuanced details about this fairly interesting pair of characters, it could turn out to be something. There's no guarantee it'll go in that direction, but here's to hoping.
Conclusion:
Selfie isn't all there yet, but there's bits and pieces of a promising show lurking around the center of this pilot. If it can get the irritating meme-based comedy out of its system and start to become a more grounded, character-focused show about two flawed human beings, then this talented cast and writing team might be able to produce a show that's worth taking a look at. Let's hope that's the case, because there's far too much talent on Selfie to be wasted, and there's parts of this pilot that suggest there's a really good show hiding in here somewhere.
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 3/5
Funniness: 3.5/5
Overall: 3/5
Discuss the show after you watch it on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014 at 8:00PM ET/PT on our message board.
Related Links:
Preview:
Starz is offering multi-platform, nationwide sampling of the first two episodes of the new Starz Original Series, Survivor's Remorse, available now since Saturday (Sept. 27). The six-episode first season of the half-hour scripted comedy series executive produced by Tom Werner, Maverick Carter, LeBron James, Mike O'Malley, Paul Wachter and Victor Levin and premieres Saturday, October 4 at 9 pm ET/PT on Starz. Select multichannel video distributors will offer linear, on-demand and online sampling opportunities of the episodes on September 27, one week in advance of the Starz series premiere. Approximately 78 million multichannel video households will have access to the sampling opportunities through select cable, satellite and Telco affiliates in the United States, as well as online through select websites including Starz.com, the Survivor's Remorse Twitter page, the Survivor's Remorse YouTube page, Survivor's Remorse Facebook page, STARZ ON DEMAND and the free STARZ PLAY app for all users in the United States. The episodes will also be available on Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, Sony Entertainment Network and Xbox Video.
The comedy is a six-episode half-hour comedy series that follows Cam Calloway, played by Jessie T. Usher, a basketball phenom in his early 20's who is suddenly thrust into the limelight after signing a multi-million dollar contract with a professional basketball team in Atlanta. Cam, along with his cousin and confidant Reggie Vaughn, played by RonReaco Lee, move to Georgia to start Cam's journey to success. The two confront the challenges of carrying needy family members and their strong ties to the impoverished community that they come from. Cam, Reggie and an unforgettable group of characters wrestle with the rewards and pitfalls of stardom, love, and loyalty. The series is executive produced by Tom Werner, Maverick Carter, LeBron James, Mike O'Malley, Paul Wachter and Victor Levin and the cast includes Mike Epps, Tichina Arnold, Teyonah Parris, and Erica Ash.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (September)
09/06 - Coach - Season One (Mill Creek) / Season Two / Seasons One and Two
09/06 - South Park - The Complete Ninteenth Season (Blu-ray)
09/13 - The Big Bang Theory - The Complete Ninth Season (Blu-ray)
09/13 - Newhart - The Complete Sixth Season
09/20 - 2 Broke Girls - The Complete Fifth Season
09/20 - Family Matters - The Complete Eighth Season
09/20 - Modern Family - The Complete Season 7
09/20 - Veep - Season 5
09/27 - The Wonder Years - Season Six
More TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Saturday, October 1
The Good Place - "Pilot" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Thanks to some kind of error, Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell), an ordinary woman, enters the afterlife and is sent to the Good Place -- which is definitely not where she belongs. While hiding in plain sight from Michael (Ted Danson), the wise architect of the Good Place who is unaware that he's made a mistake, she's determined to shed her old way of living and discover the awesome person within. Helping Eleanor navigate her new surroundings are Chidi (William Jackson Harper), her kind, open-hearted "soulmate" who sees the good in people but finds himself facing quite a dilemma; her frustratingly perfect new neighbors, Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and Jianyu (Manny Jacinto); and Janet (D'Arcy Carden), a walking, talking source for all the knowledge in the universe.
The Good Place - "Flying" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Eleanor (Kristen Bell) tries to prove to Chidi (William Jackson Harper) that she is worthy of his help. Meanwhile, Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and Jianyu (Manny Jacinto) try to help Michael (Ted Danson) feel better about the unknown flaw in his Neighborhood.
The Good Place - "Tahani Al Jamil" (NBC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Chidi (William Jackson Harper) begins formally teaching Eleanor (Kristen Bell) about ethics, and lesson No. 1 is: be kind to your neighbor. Michael (Ted Danson) and Janet (D'Arcy Carden) help Chidi find a new, exciting hobby.
The Good Place - "Jason Mendoza" (NBC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Eleanor (Kristen Bell) faces her toughest test yet in her attempt to remain in hiding. Meanwhile, Michael (Ted Danson) enlists Tahani (Jameela Jamil) to help a fellow neighbor fulfill her true purpose.
Henry Danger - "Scream Machine" (Nickelodeon, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Charlotte's invention for The Gizmo Show is accidentally destroyed and then rebuilt, Charlotte worries that the attention she gets could expose Kid Danger and Captain Man's secret identity.
Game Shakers - "The Very Old Finger" (Nickelodeon, 8:30PM ET/PT)
The Game Shakers visit a mummy exhibit to get ideas for a new game they're working on. Hudson accidentally snaps off one of its fingers. Babe leads a quest to glue it back on without getting caught.
School of Rock - "With or Without You" (Nickelodeon, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Lawrence tries to prove his value to the group by taking over the production of their first recording, but his methods create a rift in the band. Guest Star: Brec Bassinger
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 3)
Sunday, October 2
- Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project/The Office) - Catch Mindy on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
- Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project/The Office) - Watch Mindy on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. She will also be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. She chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Jamie Lee Curtis (Scream Queens/Anything But Love) - Jamie Lee visits The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
- Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) - Kumail appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
- Steve Agee (The Sarah Silverman Program) and Brendon Small (Home Movies) - Steve and Brendon are guests on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
- Kevin Nealon (Weeds/Champs/Hiller and Diller) - Kevin stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Jerry O'Connell (We Are Men/Carpoolers/My Secret Identity) - Jerry guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
- Kenan Thompson (Kenan & Kel) - Kenan drops by LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
- Chris Gethard (Broad City) - Chris chats about the play Career Suicide on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
- Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
- Abigail Spencer (Burning Love) - Abigail talks about Timeless on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 10am hour. She will also be on the AOL Build Show at 2pm. She is a guest on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
- Nicole Byer (Loosely, Exactly Nicole) - Nicole is a guest on Steve Harvey, so check your local listings.
- Rob Riggle (Golan the Insatiable) - Rob talks about Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life on the AOL Build Show at 3pm.
- Alfonso Ribeiro (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air/In the House/Silver Spoons) - Alfonso talks how many America's Funniest Home Videos get submitted and the funny home videos he wants to submit with his family on People Now at 8:30am.
- Jennifer Esposito (Samantha Who?/Spin City) - Jennifer is a guest on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
- Sara Rue (Impastor/Less Than Perfect) - Sara appears on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
- Jay Ellis (Insecure/The Game) - Jay is a guest on The Real, so check your local listings.
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